Mushroomhead rolls into Kent to rock JB's on March 8

Cleveland rockers will shake JB's on March 8

Mushroomhead is accustomed to spending more than half of the year on the road touring.

So even during the excitement of writing and recording a new studio album, the Cleveland rockers found that staying cooped up in the studio was allowing cabin fever to set in.

Having already committed to a pair of live performances at tattoo expos in Texas and Florida, Rick "Stitch" Thomas said it made sense to line up additional shows during the drive to and from the conventions.

"We had done a couple of the tattoo expos last summer and the response was really good, so they wanted us to do more," said Thomas, who is the band's DJ, while also handling tour itineraries and art production. "It costs a lot of money to just leave for two shows, one in Texas and one in Florida, so we lined up a small tour to help offset the cost."

Kent will be the home for Mushroomhead on one of those nights on the leg back to Northeastern Ohio, with a March 8 show planned at JB's in Kent, which is located at 244 N. Water St. The show will feature special guests Wixor, Gemini Syndrome, Final Trigger and Society's Plague. Doors for the show open at 7 p.m. and tickets are $20 presale and $25 on the day of the show, with a $5 additional charge for anyone under 21.

Thomas said the band will also use the tour to promote their upcoming record. It will be the group's seventh studio album, but has no definitive release date, according to Thomas.

The album's writing process began in December and has produced some early sounds that has Thomas excited.

"I am hearing ideas that remind me of when I first heard Mushroomhead's music," said Thomas, who joined the band in 2001 after being a longtime fan and band acquaintance. "There are some really interesting percussion work being done and there are some really dark sounds."

Joining the writing process for the first time are new members Ryan Farrell (bass) and Thomas Church (guitars), who joined the band in early 2012, replacing Jack "Pig Benis" Kilcoyne and Dave "Gravy" Felton.

"They are bringing a fresh new twist to the music, but still creating a familiar sound. It seems to be a closer sound to Superbuick and M3 right now than anything else," Thomas said, referencing the band's pair of independent releases from 1996 and 1999, respectively.

Once the album is complete, the band will hit the road again.

"We do 200-plus shows during a year we put out a new record," Thomas said.